Choosing an extracurricular like a pro.

“I know some of you is considering not take an extracurricular. It’s one of the things that you will regret the most.” -Anonymous Before I start, I want to talk to those who are considering not taking an extracurricular at all. Some people might think that extracurricular is useless and simply a waste of time. Trust me, you’ll regret it. Joining an extracurricular brings a lot of benefits. It can help improve your university applications, meet new friends, teach you new skills, but most importantly it’s an extremely good way to vent out all the stress from studying (assuming you choose the right one). It’s good to have a hobby once in a while and not only study all day long 😉 Starting on an extracurricular that you like in the 11th grade is also not recommended (especially if you are trying to join an extracurricular that is active in competition), since you will lose to people that have started early. So.. don’t delay and make the right choice 🙂 Without further due, here are my 2 cents on choosing an extracurricular.

Talk to a senior or the extracurricular adviser.

It’s extremely often for someone to be surprised that the extracurricular they joined is not the one they expect it to be. To avoid this, you should ask a senior or the extracurricular adviser. They can help explain to you about what they did on the extracurricular and you can see whether or not it’s the one for you or not. If you don’t know who the extracurricular adviser is, you can ask your seniors (Kakak PK, etc) and Wakil Kepala Sekolah Kesiswaan for help. After listening to their information, you can start asking yourself the question: “Is this really the one for me?”

Check your schedules.

Sometimes people realized that the extracurricular they nedcoincide with other things they need to do (Ex: Courses, KRIZA, etc). Make sure you don’t have anything on the time you are having your extracurricular (Hint: Read the schedule on your extracurricular registration form).

Are you willing to commit?

Some extracurricular are competitive and might require you to have a degree of commitment to join competitions. If your parents are against you working extra for your extracurricular (Ex: Training on weekends, competition preparations, etc) this might be a problem. Your team members will expect you to have a commitment to the team and are able to train extra for competitions. Parents are usually an important factor in this case. Ask your parents whether or not they are willing to allow you do these extra hours. Note: It’s totally fine if you want to just join the extracurricular without joining the competitions. But remember, sometimes the part that makes an extracurricular fun is the competitions 🙂

Conclusion:

Your extracurricular can build you, distract you, or destroy you. So make sure you make the right choice and talk to your parents before hand. Regards, Scott Moses Sunarto Disclosure: The writer of this article is a member of SMAK 1 English Debate Society extracurricular. Some parts might not apply to other extracurricular applicants.